Since antiquity, the period from 480 to 323 BC in Greece has been considered to be the high point, the classical era, of Hellenic culture. In the arts especially, the values and customs of ancient Greece received their most lucid expression. In this new overview, the political, social, and religious functions of Greek art are given fresh life, with chapters focusing on issues such as the relationship between visual and narrative history; the role of artistic style in the construction of meaning; and how personal and communal identity was carried by the imagery on intricately decorated pottery and jewelry, naturalistic wall-paintings, and public buildings across the Greek world. Using the Parthenon as a model, Mark Fullerton examines the principles of classical sculpture, architecture, and painting to explore all phases of Greek art from its birth around 900 BC to its incorporation into the art of the Roman Empire.